Division I baseball will descend upon Pensacola Bay this weekend as the Cox Diamond Invitational returns to Blue Wahoos Stadium for another season.

Southern Miss, Ohio State, Nicholls State and Eastern Michigan make up the 2018 field, which begins Friday when the Colonels and Buckeyes face off at 2 p.m.

The Golden Eagles are likely the favorites heading into the weekend. Southern Miss won 50 games last season and hosted an NCAA Regional before falling outs away from an NCAA Super Regional against SEC powerhouse Mississippi State.

Here’s a look at some of the top talent that will be in Pensacola this weekend:

1. Nick Sandlin, RHP, Southern Miss: One of the nation’s top pitchers, Sandlin was a preseason first-team All-American according D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game while being voted the preseason Conference USA Pitcher of the Year by league coaches.

He earned second and third team All-American honors for Southern Miss (6-2) as a sophomore in 2017, closing out games for the Golden Eagles as they came within outs of an NCAA Super Regional.

3. Luke Reynolds, 3B, Southern Miss: The Mississippi State transfer has been on a tear for the Golden Eagles (6-2) in 2018, leading Southern Miss with a .469 batting average, four home runs and 15 RBIs through eight starts.

Reynolds played for the Bulldogs in 2015 before transferring prior to the 2016 season, citing concerns over his playing time according to the Sun Herald.

He got a measure of revenge on his former team as the Golden Eagles swept Mississippi State to open the regular season. Reynolds homered in the series and was 6-of-10 with six RBIs overall.

Reynolds’ 15 RBIs place him in a tie for ninth-best in Division this year, a number he’s looking to improve upon in Blue Wahoos Stadium this weekend.

4. Max Scheumann, SS, Eastern Michigan: Eastern Michigan’s speedy middle infielder is one of the nation’s best on the base paths.

Scheumann’s nine stolen bases in eight games ranks first in Division I. It’s a feat that’s been bolstered by his 18 hits this season, a statistic for which he ranks third nationally.

Altogether, Scheumann is batting .500 with three home runs and seven RBIs in a breakout season that many professional scouts saw coming.

Scheumann was rated the tenth-best MLB prospect in the Middle American Conference according to Baseball America.

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University of North Florida third baseman and former Pace High School standout, Trent Higginbothem, (No. 26) comes up short at second, as Nicholls State Shortstop, Joey Morales, makes the tag and throws to first during the opening game of the Cox Diamond Invitational Friday afternoon Feb. 20, 2015.(Photo: , Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com)

5. Joey Morales, SS, Nicholls State: A four-year starting shortstop for Nicholls State (1-6), Morales makes up the core of a Colonel infield which returned all four starters this season.

Morales is batting a personal-best .333 so far this season to go along with one home run and five RBIs.

It’s been a rough start to the season for Morales and Nicholls State, though a strong performance from Morales in Blue Wahoos Stadium could help the Colonels get back on track.